Estate Planning

Stieg Larsson Estate

By Hull and Hull LLP

Stieg Larsson's latest book, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, came out last week.

Earlier, Diane Vieira blogged here on the estate of the best-selling author, who died in 2004. Diane noted that Larsson's common-law spouse of over 30 years received nothing from Larsson's estate. Larsson died without a valid will, and his estate, estimated presently as having a value of $30 million, passed on an intestacy to his father and brother. Under Sweden's inheritance laws, the common-law spouse received nothing, and did not have a claim against the estate.

In a lengthy New York Times Magazine article entitled 'The Afterlife of Stieg Larsson', Charles McGrath reports in detail on the life and events subsequent to the death of Larsson.

McGrath notes that Larsson died without a valid Will. (Apparently, Larrson did leave a 1977 will, in which he leaves his estate to the Socialist Party in Umea: the will was not witnessed and is said to have no legal validity.) Although his long-time companion, Eva Gabrielsson, received nothing from his estate, she has become an object of intense sympathy in Sweden.

Gabrielsson also has a laptop containing ¾ of a fourth novel by Larrson, and possibly an outline for others. Larsson's estate offered to give her their half of Larsson's apartment in exchange for the computer, but Gabriellson refused. Last November, the estate apparently offered her $2.6 million for the computer, but Gabrielsson didn't respond.

McGrath states that while Gabrielsson has no claim, she has asserted 'a kind of moral entitlement'. In a National Post article, Gabrielsson is said to be claiming that she co-authored the books.

As is usual in these types of matters, great animosity has developed between the spouse and the estate.

Thank you for reading.

Paul Trudelle

Full post as published by Toronto Estate Law Blog on May 28, 2010 (boomark / email).